TESTING AND MODELING AN EVAPORATIVE PASSIVE COOLING SYSTEM IN A HOT HUMID CLIMATE - MARACAIBO

摘要

Passive cooling systems have been experimentally evaluated under the hot and humid conditions of Maracaibo, Venezuela. An experimental platform made up of two full scale test cells has been used. This paper presents the results of an Indirect Evaporative Passive Cooling System based on a metallic water roof pond naturally ventilated and protected from the solar radiation. Performance of the cooling system is analyzed in terms of its Characteristic Temperatures, Mean Cooling Potential and Cooling Performance Index. Based on experimental data, formulas have been developed for indoor maximum, average and minimum temperatures of the system. The thermal performance of this system, compared with other systems, (presented in another paper in this conference), demonstrate their important contribution for natural cooling of buildings under tropical climatic conditions. These experiments have also demonstrated that the indirect evaporative cooling could be a practical way for passive cooling of buildings even in the humid climate of Maracaibo.